Usually, an event’s headlining bout represents the pinnacle of its interest and the foundation of financial investment for those who put down hard-earned money because that main event means something.

On UFC 118’s card, things are a little different.

The lightweight title rematch between current champion Frankie Edgar and former champion B.J. Penn is important, yes. But the star attraction is the co-main event – a guilty pleasure bout between MMA legend Randy Couture and champion boxer turned MMA savant James Toney.

Everyone wants to know what happens when the outsider Toney (72-6-3 Boxing, 0-0 MMA) pits his pugilistic skills against the MMA institution that Couture (18-10 MMA, 15-7 UFC) represents in this close-knit world of mixed martial arts. It’s spectacle at its simplest, or as UFC president Dana White calls it, a “freak show.”

From top to bottom, all the fighters on Saturday’s card, which takes place at Boston’s TD Garden, have been asked to weigh-in on the outsider’s chances. There have been a lot of questions about what it means if Toney wins, and few about what it means if he loses.

Not since the one-gloved Art Jimmerson stepped into the octagon at UFC 1 and Melton Bowen at UFC 4 has a boxer dared to cross the aisle – much less a future Hall of Famer such as Toney, who’s held several world titles throughout his decade-plus professional career. A lot of high-level boxers have taken potshots at MMA, but none have signed on the dotted line.

Even Toney’s peers give him little chance of succeeding; several ring professionals have piped up to say “Lights Out” is going to get smashed. The sport has grown to the point where most boxers are savvy enough to know they don’t know enough to be competitive.

Of course, the ego-strong Toney believes he’s the exception. He’s had nine months to prepare, and that’s enough (Fun fact: Toney and Jimmerson were sparring partners in 1997 prior to Toney’s boxing match against Duran Williams. “He was a bum then … he’s a bum now,” spat Toney).

“Everybody thinks I can’t do this, and do that,” Toney told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). Everybody (asks) the same old question every day: how are you going to defend the takedown. [Expletive] him. What he gonna do against my punches? I’m not worried about Randy Couture at all. But I guarantee you one thing. Every night when that bald-headed [expletive] goes to sleep, he thinks about James’ black ass.”

That’s not the case according to Couture.

“This is just another fight,” he said. “James is another opponent. This is a mixed martial arts fight, whether he’s dragging boxing or whatever else he’s learned up into that cage. You’re still in that cage, and I’m pretty comfortable in there. This sport’s going to continue to go on and explode around the world like it has whether I win or lose this fight, so there’s no pressure on me.”

That sentiment is not shared by a lot of MMA fans. Many of them think the world will explode if James Toney walks into the octagon and beats Couture. It will turn their beloved sport into a joke. The emperor will have no clothes.

One person thinks a good showing for Toney might be good for business. “Freak show” is not a dirty term.

“I really would like to see Toney do good out there,” said Penn. “You know, I think it only helps the sport. You know, if Randy goes right in there and runs over James Toney in five seconds, you know what? I don’t think that does do anything, you know. I look for what tries to build the sport, what tries to put more fans in the seats. More fans in the seats is more money in our pockets.”

And what do the headliners think of Toney’s chances?

“I think it’s going to be tough for him,” Penn said. “He’s stepping in and fighting a five-time UFC champ on his first fight. The guy’s got some balls, man. I wish the best for him.”

“Toney is a world champion heavyweight boxer, so I guess he’s got a little bit more than a puncher’s chance,” Edgar said.

But enough about the guilty pleasure; let’s get to the main attraction, right?

Edgar (12-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC), a scrappy former collegiate wrestler, and Penn (15-6-1 MMA, 11-6-1 UFC), a jiu-jitsu genius, clashed four months prior at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It was Penn’s fourth title defense after dominant victories over Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez. He was the heavy favorite going into the fight, but Edgar had other ideas.

With a combination of speedy striking and wrestling, the Jersey Shore’s Edgar managed to outwork Penn on the feet and do the impossible by gaining two takedowns – the former champ hadn’t been taken down as a lightweight in years – en route to a unanimous decision win. The decision was not received with open arms; many observers scored the fight for Penn, while one judge infamously gave all five rounds to Edgar. Yet again, the UFC’s scoring system went under the microscope as the huge upset took root.

Incensed with his performance, Penn requested an immediate rematch. Edgar’s wish to meet Gray Maynard – his only career loss – in his first title defense fell on deaf ears.

But Edgar was also more than willing to prove that the first fight was no fluke.

“The confidence that I gained from the last fight has just pushed me in the right direction,” he said. “Confidence is a powerful thing. I think it’s elevated how I believe in myself.”

Penn said he’s prepared to match Edgar’s speed this time around.

“I feel I can be more busy out there, and I feel like I can make some tweaks and adjustments,” he said. “I think I’m ready for everything that they got the next time.”

The question in this fight is how both fighters adjust their game plans. Penn got caught playing Edgar’s game in the first fight and lost several opportunities to advance when he reacted to Edgar’s hit-and-run attack. Edgar knows Penn will probably come out like a bat out of hell on Saturday, so he may use that to take the fight to the ground, and hopefully, keep it there.

“I love to be the contender,” Penn said. “After I beat Frankie, I know it’s UFC policy (and) I have to take the belt. But I just want to be a guy that goes out and fights all the best fighters.”

“It will definitely give me more respect,” Edgar said of a possible win. “But I’m going in there expecting a tough fight. Last one was razor-thin. If I can get that finish, that would be great.”

And the good news for Edgar is that if he will get his original wish if both he and Maynard are successful on Saturday. White said the winner of a featured bout between “The Bully” and two-time contender Kenny Florian is up for a title shot.

“He’s a tough guy, but it’s a fight,” an antsy Maynard said of Florian. “I love my job. I’m prepared. Let’s just hurry up and get there. Let’s get past the cutting weight and fight. Let’s find out.”

On paper, Maynard has better wrestling credentials and has recently brought his striking game, particularly his boxing, to par with his mat work. Florian is well aware that if he’s not careful, he could end up in the same situation he did during his first title shot at UFC 64 when Sherk took him down at will and ground out a decision.

“Every fight is important,” Florian said. “Obviously, I’ve been here before. I think a lot of the win comes before you even get here, and I’ve prepared very well. Gray’s a great opponent.

“I still need to get the win. [The title shot] is not going to be on my mind. It’s going to be what I need to do technically and physically to win this fight.”

For “Kenflo,” it’s a matter of controlling distance in the striking game. Maynard will want to test his boxing skills against Florian’s Muay Thai and use exchanges to set up takedowns; he’s likely to get the two-time contender to the mat if he wants to, but he’s got to get there first. That’s the key of the fight: who’s cage generalship is stronger.

In other action, middleweight submission ace Demian Maia (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) meets short notice replacement Mario Miranda (10-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC). Maia was originally billed to meet Alan Belcher at UFC Fight Night 22 on Sept. 15 before Belcher was forced to withdraw with a detached retina. Miranda is coming off an impressive win at UFC 115 against David Loiseau and faces the toughest stylistic challenge of his career in keeping Maia working on his feet.

Additionally, welterweights Marcus Davis (17-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC) and Nate Diaz (12-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) clash in a fight that’s got hardcore fans buzzing. Both fighters love to throw leather, and Davis appears to be on the rebound after back-to-back losses against Dan Hardy and Ben Saunders. Diaz, meanwhile, is slowly getting settled into the 170-pound class after disappointing setbacks against 155-pound standouts like Maynard, Joe Stevenson and Clay Guida. For him, it’s a matter of racking up his punch-count and out-finessing Davis, a former pro boxer, when the two clash in the center of the cage.

UFC 118’s main card includes:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)

Champ Frankie Edgar vs. B.J. Penn (for lightweight title)

Randy Couture vs. James Toney

Demian Maia vs. Mario Miranda

Kenny Florian vs. Gray Maynard

Marcus Davis vs. Nate Diaz

PRELIMINARY CARD
(Spike TV)

Joe Lauzon vs. Gabe Ruediger

Nik Lentz vs. Andre Winner

PRELIMINARY CARD

Dan Miller vs. John Salter

Nick Osipczak vs. Greg Soto

Amilcar Alves vs. Mike Pierce

For complete coverage of UFC 118, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

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